Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Book Review: Razorland by Ann Aguirre

This is my last book review of Dystopian August (I know - so sad!).  I have an unrelated book tour tomorrow, and will do my recap post (with a final AWESOME giveaway) on Thursday.  Look for it!

At her naming ceremony, Deuce finally receives the triple cuts on each of her arms that signify her as a huntress among her people. As a huntress, Deuce not only gathers food but also protects her underground community from wild mutant scavengers. She’s paired up with Fade, a mysterious young man who claims to have originally come from the surface. When they are sent out on patrol and discover that their nearest neighbors have been overrun, the enclave elders dismiss their concerns, and Deuce realizes her blind obedience to the enclave may not be the best course of action.


A dystopian society AND an apocalyptic wasteland in one fast-paced thrill ride? YES! Deuce’s world is pure survival of the fittest. When someone dies, they are not mourned, just thrown out to become part of the food chain. It’s a rough life, and that’s why the elders are no older than 24.

Deuce is immediately someone I liked. She’s an awesome fighter (wields a club in addition to knives) but she’s not arrogant about it. She’s been raised to be hard, but she also has an innate generosity of spirit that gives her a special connection to Fade. And Fade is definitely someone you want to cultivate a special connection to…YUM. Even though I insist time and time again that I am not big on romance, I wanted these two to get together. The fact that Deuce thinks “breeding” is for losers put a damper on things though…

I enjoyed following the story – it kept me on my toes, never knowing what would happen next. Some scenes felt like they might have been lifted from elsewhere (the cherry tasting scene was a lot like the coke scene in THE ROAD) but that could just be because I’ve read so many of these types of books where desperate people are scavenging for food.

Oh yeah…guys? This is a series. No big cliffhanger, but I do wish I could read the second book now. And the first one is not even out yet! *Sigh* These series are killing me!

My rating? 4 Zombie Chickens – An Excellent Example of the Dystopian Genre



RAZORLAND comes out in January 2011 in hardcover. Find out more about it and read the first two chapters at the author’s website.

See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

14 comments:

Liviania said...

I enjoy Ann Aguirre, so I'm not surprised that this one is good.

Unknown said...

Looks pretty good. Also reminds me of City of Ember in a vague way.

Elizabeth Briggs said...

This looks great. Can't wait to read it! I just discovered her Jax series too.

Unknown said...

Oh, now this sounds good. Definitely want to read this one.

Michelle said...

I'm sad that Dystopian August is coming to an end. But I'm glad you finished it up with a good book that you enjoyed!

FICTION STATE OF MIND said...

great feview! i have three of anne's books that ive yet to read:0 have to add this one to my wishlist

Trisha said...

I've been toying around with adding this one to the wishlist, and you've pushed me over the edge. Now I have to decide if I should get it the second I'm able or wait awhile to limit the time between books 1 and 2. I'm so impatient with series!

kay - Infinite Shelf said...

This one sounds like something I would enjoy! But wow, January 2011 is a long wait eh!

Mardel said...

I've been enjoying Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax books - I'm hoping I'll enjoy this series too. Razorland sounds very entertaining. Of course, this is going on my ever-increasing "I have to buy this" book list. :)

Dwayne said...

Sounds great - will try this, thanks very much:)

Zibilee said...

I like the sound of this book, and the fact that it's dystopian and apocalyptic makes me kind of excited about it! I am going to have to remember to look for this one when it comes out. It sounds great! Thanks, Lenore!

I also have loved this month's dystopian posts and hope that you decide to do it again sometime!!

Kris (Voracious YAppetite) said...

I can't wait for this release; glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Loved your posts this past month, btw. (:

Alex Bennett from Electrifying Reviews said...

This one looks so great!

Tales of Whimsy said...

Ooooo that was SOOOOOOOOO good. I really can't wait for this.